Harford County, Maryland: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Aberdeen, Havre de Grace and Bel Air
Harford County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Harford County. Harford County is home to Aberdeen, Havre de Grace and Bel Air. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “Permanent ban on data centers in all zoning districts”. Construction employs 6,443, up 3.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,090 MW of capacity, 49% of it hydro, the 5th largest fleet in Maryland.
Cities and towns in Harford County
Harford County is home to Aberdeen, Havre de Grace and Bel Air.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aberdeen Proving Ground, Abingdon, Bel Air North, Bel Air South, Darlington, Edgewood, Fallston, Jarrettsville, Joppatowne, Perryman, Pleasant Hills, Pylesville, Riverside.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Harford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 261,235 | 266,446 | ▲ 2.0% | 8th of 24 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 95,333 | 96,105 | ▲ 0.8% | 15th of 24 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,838 | $68,699 | ▲ 25.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,251 | 6,443 | ▲ 3.1% | 7th of 15 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,045 | 1,044 | ▼ 0.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 33 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
33 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 1,044, down 0.1% since 2019 against up 0.7% statewide, at an average $78,239 a year. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Harford County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.91¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.84¢ median for Maryland utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 96,105 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 266,446 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020, 8th of 24 Maryland counties by population.
Who powers Harford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +33 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Harford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,214,100 | 17.91¢ | 21% |
| Delmarva Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 186,368 | 20.22¢ | 17% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 531 MW | 49% |
| Natural gas | 341 MW | 31% |
| Petroleum | 159 MW | 15% |
| Solar | 59 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conowingo | Constellation Power, Inc | Hydro | 531 MW | 1928 |
| Perryman | Constellation Power Source Generation, LLC | Petroleum | 492 MW | 1972 |
| Fairview Farms | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 30 MW | 2024 |
| APG Combined Heat and Power Plant | US Dept of Army, Garrison, APG | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2016 |
| 4622 Mercedes Dr Solar, LLC | SRC Partnership 13, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
| APG New Chesapeake | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
The Harford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 96,105 | $68,699 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,443 | $77,153 | 1.27 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,044 | $78,239 | 1.51 |
| Data processing and hosting | 74 | $127,262 | 0.25 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Harford County
1 data center in Harford County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent ban on data centers in all zoning districts | In force | 2026-06 | |
| Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly (proposed legislation to permanently ban data centers countywide; public hearing May 18, vote June 1), MD data center mora | Proposed | 2026-05 |
Harford County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Harford County, York County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harford County | 266,446 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,090 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Baltimore County | 847,650 | ▼ 2.9% | 47 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Cecil County | 107,131 | ▲ 10.1% | 1,923 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Lancaster County PA | 563,159 | ▲ 3.7% | 1,815 MW | — | 6 | — |
| York County PA | 473,197 | ▲ 1.3% | 6,218 MW | 157 MW | 1 | — |
More of Maryland
Harford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Harford County, Maryland?
2 utilities have service territory in Harford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Baltimore Gas & Electric Co, Delmarva Power. The largest, Baltimore Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.91¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Aberdeen, MD in?
Aberdeen is in Harford County, Maryland. About 18,374 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Havre de Grace, MD in?
Havre de Grace is in Harford County, Maryland. About 15,630 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bel Air, MD in?
Bel Air is in Harford County, Maryland. About 10,507 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Harford County?
19 operating plants with 1,090 MW of capacity. The largest is Conowingo (531 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Harford County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Harford County.
Is Harford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 96,105 jobs in 2025 against 95,333 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,251 to 6,443.
Does Harford County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Harford County, 1 in force.